by Anna Kashina
Abib stepped forward and placed the parchment into her hands. “It is my privilege to inform you, that our formal investigation found no circumstances that could prevent your and Aghat Mai’s union.”
Kara heaved a breath, once again having serious trouble keeping up. Her head was spinning, and she resisted the urge to pinch herself hard, just to make sure she was awake.
“I must apologize to you,” Abib said, “for the way we had to relay this information to you in such an official way, without giving you any prior indication of where this was going. Please understand that it is utterly important for the entire proceedings to be conducted strictly following the protocol. If it’s any consolation, Aghat Mai was adamantly opposed to this conversation. The only reason he allowed it because we all assured him that this was the only way to proceed.”
Kara swallowed, trying and failing to find her voice. She felt numb, as if the events around her were happening in another reality just outside her grasp.
Abib stood up straighter, exchanging glances with the men around him. “Before seeing Aghat Mai again, you must give us a formal answer whether or not you wish to proceed with the marriage.”
Kara shook her head, unsure if she heard him right. “Is this a bloody joke?”
“Far from it. If you say ‘yes’ right now, you will be officially bound to our Guild, and to Aghat Mai, irrevocably and for the rest of your life. Do you truly wish to do it?”
She heaved a breath. “Yes.”
Abib bowed his head, his face betraying no emotion at all. “Then, follow us.”
The guards outside Kara’s chambers tried to protest when she directed her steps away from the Queen’s quarters toward the suite designated for the Majat. They went as far as blocking her path, but a few whispered words by Seldon sent them rushing down the hallway in the opposite direction. To warn the Queen that something was going on, Kara assumed, even though she didn’t give a damn. She focused her entire being on walking steadily, holding her head high, not breaking into a run. This couldn’t possibly be happening, she was telling herself. Somewhere, someone was going to catch them and tell them this was all a mistake. Except that every Guild senior she feared the most was walking beside her now, crowding on her, as if determined to prevent her from straying from her path. If only they could know how far she was from this kind of a possibility.
She didn’t remember how long it took them to walk down the hallway to the Majat quarters. She barely registered the faces of the Emerald guards, crinkling with smiles as they threw the doors open. Mai stood on the other side, his face pale with determination, and as soon as he saw her he stepped forward and swept her into his arms.
Kara didn’t think she would cry, but finding herself in his embrace, something she was sure would never happen again, brought tears into her eyes far too easily. Dear Shal Addim, was she becoming one of those women who cried at the merest excuse? She hid her face on Mai’s shoulder, unable to focus on anything besides the fact that she was here, with him, and that if the absurd reality around her was going to prevail she would actually be allowed to keep this place as long as she wanted.
Mai stroked her hair, the strength of his embrace telling her of the mix of emotions inside him.
“Was this bloody necessary, Master Abib?” he asked.
Kara didn’t want to turn and look, but by the way the silence stretched behind her she imagined the senior Majat shuffling uncomfortably in place. She heaved a breath and finally disengaged from Mai’s arms, finding the strength to stand on her own.
“It’s all right,” she said. “They had to follow all the formalities.”
“Actually,” Abib said, “we’re not done with the formalities yet.”
Kara’s heart quivered. In her flustered state she didn’t think she could take any more surprises. “We’re not?”
“Since you have both, just now, independently confirmed to us that you intend to proceed with your marriage, it must be conducted immediately.”
Her eyes widened. “Now?”
Abib shrugged. “There’s a negotiation going on in Queen Rajmella’s chambers regarding your hand in marriage. To put an end to any further discussion on the topic, you must leave this chamber as Aghat Mai’s wife.”
She glanced at Mai again. He was grinning, and she couldn’t help a grin in return.
“I’d love to,” she said.
Abib signaled, and the man nearest the door opened it a crack and spoke to someone outside. After a moment, both of the doors swung wide open, letting in a procession of priests.
Kara stared. Father Bartholomeos, the head of the Church himself, walked at the front dressed in his best ceremonial robes. Dear Shal Addim, did they have the Holy Father wait out there all the time?
She felt numb, surreal, as if stuck in a dream so good that she saw no way it could possibly last. Yet, the events proceeded around her like a well-oiled machine. She and Mai faced the priests side by side and were told to kneel, all the Majat kneeling in their wake. Of course, no Majat could remain standing if their Guildmaster was kneeling, an event that didn’t happen every century, after all. She held Mai’s hand, feeling his eyes on her, swelling with happiness that threatened to burst her apart. The prayer droned on, the smell of the incense going to her head like wine.
She wasn’t sure how long it took, minutes or hours, her mind slowly settling into a new world which seemed far too good to be possible at all. She was getting married to Mai. She was back with her true family, going to return to their Guild, the only home she ever knew.
She came back to her senses when she realized that everyone was rising, looking at them with appreciative smiles. Mai pulled her into his arms and kissed her, to everyone’s applause. She could only half-register all the congratulations, friendly hugs and pats, laughter and talking around them. The priests were mingling, Father Bartholomeos talking to Abib and Seldon so easily as if he hadn’t been mortally afraid of the Majat just a short while ago.
She met Mai’s gaze, trying to enfold what just happened. Married. We are married. He owns me, body and soul. And now, no one could possibly keep us apart.
47
Family Bonds
A formal train of Emerald guards escorted her and Mai to a private chamber inside the Majat suite. Kara blinked as she stepped inside. All her Majat clothes and weapons were laid out for her, next to a table with refreshments, and a giant bed set with fresh, fragrant sheets. She turned to Mai, who laughed at her stunned expression.
“Formally,” he said, “we are expected to consummate the marriage. However, given how little time we have, I suggest you just change into your normal clothes, much as I regret the rush.”
“The rush?”
Mai grinned. “As I am told, the guards who saw you leaving your chambers with the Majat seniors raised quite a ruckus. Rajmella and King Evan are on their way here. We should expect them any moment.”
Kara glanced to the clothes prepared for her, then at her royal Olivian outfit she was still wearing, showy and much too revealing for her comfort. It felt good to know she wouldn’t be needing these kind of clothes anymore.
Mai’s look sent flutters into her stomach. Happiness she hadn’t felt in a really long time was just starting to settle in, filling the large gap inside her chest that had remained hollow for such a long time. She shivered as she glanced at Mai. My husband. This would definitely take some getting used to.
“Did you have any idea our Guild would do something like this?” she asked.
He grinned. “Our Guild is pretty powerful, in case you didn’t know.”
“Yes, but twisting the chronicles? Changing official birth records of royal families?”
“Not quite, in this case. Officially, the fact of Aljahara’s birth is not that well recorded. That made Abib’s job a hell of a lot easier.”
“Surely not as easy as simply denying your request for marriage.”
He shook his head. “I was fairly certain the Guild would find a way. I kne
w Seldon was supposed to play an important role in making the decision, and if you remember, he owes you his life.”
Kara frowned. “You wouldn’t have killed him, would you?”
“Probably not, but Seldon doesn’t know that. I believe he felt that keeping you around would provide some much-needed good influence on me. Besides, on our return trip through the desert I told him very clearly that it would have to be either both you and me returning to the Guild together, or neither of us. It came down to the question of how much the Majat seniors wanted to keep me in command. Apparently, they do, and are willing to go to considerable lengths for this purpose. Once that question was settled, the rest was all about twisting and reinterpreting the official records, something the Majat are always very good at. I wasn’t worried at all – haven’t I told you that?”
“I thought you were just trying to make me feel better.”
“You really should give me more credit than that.”
She swallowed. His tone was light, but his words had inadvertently brought to mind another occasion where she had made the same assumption, the one that nearly led her to ruining everything by committing suicide. That time, her thinking had been partially driven by the Kaddim. And now, with that behind them, she promised herself to change this way of thinking, once and for all.
“I was being foolish, wasn’t I?” she said.
His gaze softened. “You were exhausted – not surprising after everything you’ve been through. I knew that too, so I directed my efforts at keeping you from taking any rash actions rather than trying to convince you that I was right.”
She heaved a breath. “How is it possible that you know me so well?”
Mai smiled. “It was just a lucky guess. But I firmly intend to spend the rest of my life learning everything I possibly could about you.”
The rest of my life. The thought was so overwhelming that she felt tears brim her eyes. He reached over and gently touched her cheek, brushing them away.
“I am dreaming,” she whispered.
“Yes,” he said. “Me too.”
“Aren’t you afraid to wake up?”
“I’m not planning to. Are you?”
“No.”
He kissed her gently, his tenderness echoing deep down, all the way to her core. She wanted to lose herself in his embrace. But she knew they had to settle everything else first.
She stepped toward the bed and changed her outfit – quickly, before she could change her mind.
“So, what’s the plan now?” she asked.
“We meet Rajmella and present ourselves as the newlyweds.”
“Given the situation, I assume she and King Evan may try to contest that.”
“Contest the marriage performed by the Holy Father himself?”
“I am a princess of Shayil Yara, you know.”
Mai shrugged. “One of the reasons we had to delay getting you to the Majat chambers, even at the risk the Queen will get to you first, was because Abib had to make absolutely sure there are no Shayil Yaran official documents that could interfere with our plan. Magister Egey Bashi helped; he knows the royal library quite well by now.”
“And?”
“There are no formal records of your birth. Not here, anyway. Admittedly, our Guild does have one or two, but they are now placed into the disputed section of the library, thanks to Abib’s work. Trust me, it will all settle down faster than you think. No one wants any trouble with the Majat.”
She sighed. “To think that I nearly gave up, while all this work was going on.”
“You should have trusted me to handle this.”
She stepped closer and nuzzled his shoulder. They were both fully dressed now, with all their weapons on, but it still felt so hard to keep away from him.
“Now that you own me, body and soul,” she said, “I will trust you. Always.”
He smiled as he leaned closer. “You own me too. You have, all this time. But I expect you already know that.”
She grinned. “Oh, yes, Guildmaster – and given the traditions of this court, I can’t wait to exercise my rights of ownership.” She slid a hand into his hair, pulling him closer, but before they could kiss, a knock on the door interrupted them, gentle but persistent.
“Damn it,” Mai whispered. “Time to go.”
She nodded, feeling breathless as she drew away from him.
The Majat’s anteroom was set up for a private audience, with only a few guards stationed near the doors. As Kara and Mai stepped inside, Queen Rajmella rushed toward them, stopping abruptly when the Emeralds of Mai’s escort moved in to block her way. Her eyes widened as she saw Kara’s Majat outfit. The Queen had never seen it before, Kara realized.
She briefly glanced at King Evan, who stood very still, his eyes darting from Kara and Mai to the Majat of their entourage. His lowered hand clenched a parchment he must have been reading just before they arrived. The gleam of the official seals, the Church’s four-pointed Holy Star next to the imprint of the Majat Diamond token, stood out even from the distance. Pressed into the paper side by side they looked strikingly similar in shape even if different in decorations, the Star printed in glossy black ink, the token filled with ornate lines of the Majat runes. Our marriage certificate. Kara hoped it was’t the only copy. By Evan and Rajmella’s determined looks they were planning to do everything in their power to challenge the validity of it.
“What is the meaning of this, Princess Aljahara?” Rajmella demanded.
“My name’s Kara, Your Majesty,” Kara said. “Allow me to present my husband, Aghat Mai.”
Rajmella pursed her lips, throwing a restrained glance at the armed Majat surrounding the couple, then at Abib standing a few paces to the side. “You just went ahead and married him?”
Kara knew she shouldn’t be grinning right now – not so widely at least, with everyone’s eyes on her. But she felt so happy she couldn’t possibly stop herself.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“With the Majat Guild’s blessings?”
“To the extent possible by the Code.” Kara glanced at Abib, who bowed his head briefly in confirmation.
Rajmella turned to Abib too. “Are all your Guild’s seniors out of their minds?”
Abib regarded her with a stony stare. “Not to my knowledge, Your Majesty.”
“Don’t act as if we are all idiots here. This woman is a princess of Shayil Yara! Marrying her to your Guildmaster throws away everything your Guild stands for.”
Abib held her gaze firmly. “I am aware of the claim your kingdom has put forth regarding Aghat Kara’s lineage. I myself led an extended investigation into the matter. According to all available chronicles, Your Majesty, Princess Aljahara is no more than a folk belief. We found absolutely no evidence to substantiate the fact of her existence at all.” He glanced at Egey Bashi, who had noiselessly appeared at the door to the chamber and stopped beside him.
“I can confirm this, Your Majesties.” Egey Bashi glanced from the Queen to the King. “I’ve spent days in your royal library and the official record room, and I have also consulted extensively with your court’s scholars. On behalf of the Order of Keepers, I fully support Master Abib’s conclusions.”
“This is preposterous,” Rajmella said. “Up until a few days ago she was our Queen, for Shal Addim’s sake!”
Abib smiled. “A clever ruse, Your Majesty, to secure your kingdom’s forces to our side. Aghat Kara is a brilliant tactician. She knew of Aljahara legend, and she has used it to our advantage. This move, as you know, was instrumental in our victory. But since the war is over now, there is no need for further pretense. You got your throne back, haven’t you?”
Rajmella scoffed in disbelief. “Come now, Master Abib, surely you know better than that. All you need to do is look at the back of her neck to see her royal tattoo.” She stepped forward and extended her hand toward Kara, but an Emerald Guard inserted himself into her way, while Mai put an arm around Kara’s waist and pulled her toward him.
Rajmella’s face flushed. Her eyes briefly lifted to King Evan, as if seeking support.
“Prior to receiving the news that Princess Aljahara has been escorted to the Majat quarters,” the King said, “Queen Rajmella and I signed a formal agreement, pledging her hand in marriage to my son.”
Mai’s lips twitched. “Since Princess Aljahara doesn’t exist, I see no problem in annulling your agreement, Your Majesty.” His arm tightened around Kara and she smiled, relaxing into his embrace. After the long months of downplaying their relationship in public, it felt so good to go along with this open demonstration, a reminder to everyone watching that she now had a lawful place by his side.
“Has your marriage truly been performed by the Holy Father himself?” Rajmella asked, watching the display with a frown of distaste.
Mai grinned. “Would you like to ask him yourself? He’s still around here somewhere, I believe. The Guild’s seniors asked him to wait, in case questions arise.”
Dear Shal Addim, the Holy Father must be hating the Majat by now. Kara hid the thought behind a contented smile, watching the complex play of emotions on Rajmella’s face. She remembered the way men at this court were expected to maintain secondary roles. Among other things, it was probably difficult for Rajmella right now to adapt to the fact that a man as young and attractive and Mai was speaking to her so openly.
“Has the marriage been consummated?” Rajmella asked.
Mai’s grin widened. “I think the Holy Father may be able to attest to that too. He wasn’t in the bedchamber with us, of course, but he was present when we were escorted there. I’m sure he would love to discuss the topic with you, Your Majesty.”
Rajmella frowned. “You couldn’t possibly have had enough time.”
Mai’s eyes lingered on the Queen with a suggestive expression that made Kara’s face flush with heat. Even Rajmella, used to the way men around here looked at women, glanced away in embarrassment, her cheeks lighting up with color.